Grit.
Get some.
Often I get caught up in what to write on these blogs. Sometimes that leads to no blogs at all for an extended period of time. However, blog cadence is also easily tied to whats going on in life and we can say it’s been a trying couple weeks with more to come.
The trying weeks are not the point here. We all have our tough seasons when priorities shift and I’m fortunate enough to not turn to the bottle when shit gets hard. Actually, I dig in deeper with my recovery during these times. And if I’m in a good headspace, I become grateful for being tested as it proves the miracle of sobriety.
Recently, I’ve realized that there is a great word that describes people who come out of their struggles on the other side. I’m not only talking about getting sober, I’m talking about mental health struggles, physical struggles, emotional pain…all the things. Everyone I’ve talked to that found peace and strength have GRIT.
I have never used the word grit to describe myself until about 3 weeks ago. I was talking to a friend about what it takes to stay sober, and the word came out in conversation.
LIGHT BULB MOMENT FRIENDS!!
You can’t do anything hard by simply talking about it or wishing it to happen. It takes work. It takes serious discomfort. It takes grit.
Grit is the iron first in the velvet glove.
Oooo baby, do I love that! I meet a lot of wonderful people who have been through it in life and they are happy, joyous and free. They are this way because of the way life shaped them, and they all had the grit to push through.
Grit is being willing to do the uncomfortable things in life. To do the hard things. To do all the things that you don’t want to do.
If an athlete has grit, then watch out, it’s going to take the whole opposing team to stop them. If an entrepreneur has grit, then be on the lookout for their successful business.
If someone is struggling and they have grit…then support them in the ways you can, it will not be a fruitless effort. Stick around and watch the miracle happen.
The good news is that grit can be learned and developed over time. I didn’t have grit for the first 2 attempts at sobriety. What gave me grit? I’m not sure, maybe the handcuffs of bottom gifted me it, or maybe I picked it up in jail.
That isn’t a joke. I think that a few overnights in jail a few years back truly watered the grit seed for me. What a beautiful image of a grit flower sprouting from the concrete jungle of the Department Of Corrections.
Wish I would’ve kept those orange DOC sneakers, they were like Vans shoes, except with way more street cred.
Grit people. It takes grit. Say all the positive and nice things to support (velvet glove) but in the end, grit (iron fist) is needed to overcome.
Thank you for being here.
Talk to you soon.
- Mathias John
